LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?
THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Structure of Deuteronomy. According to the ESV Study Bible, the book of Deuteronomy is structured like an ancient treaty document, given over the course of three speeches. There is Moses' first speech which includes the preamble (1:1-5) and historical prologue (1:6-4:49). Then we have Moses' second speech where Israel is given general stipulations (5:1-11:32) and specific stipulations (12:1-26:19). Finally in Moses' third speech we have blessings and curses (27:1-28:68), followed by a couple of things unique to Deuteronomy: covenant renewal (29:1-29), a description of future covenant forgiveness (30:1-10), and an exhortation to choose the way of life over the way of death (30:11-20). Then there is the succession from Moses to Joshua (31:1-8), followed by the document clause (31:9-29), and witnesses (32:1-47)--followed by blessings from and the death of Moses (32:48-34:12). That seems like a lot of detail, and it is, but the basic takeaway from it is this: Deuteronomy is the ancient treaty document between a greater power (God) and a lesser power (Israel). But it is one that has grace and forgiveness at the center, and culminates in an echo of the description of the Promised Deliverer from Genesis 49 and Numbers 24, right near as the treaty document is ready to close (Deuteronomy 32-33). It is a familiar form, changed and altered at specific points to make us see Jesus.
Jesus' personal reading material. As we read the early chapters of Deuteronomy, we are privileged to be meditating on the same material that Jesus meditated on while he was being tempted in the wilderness by Satan, alone for 40 days and 40 nights. In Matthew 4 and Luke 4, all of Jesus' responses to Satan are taken from these early chapters of Deuteronomy.
The destruction of the original inhabitants. In the WhatsApp group devoted to this reading plan, I've noticed that there has been some difficulty with the violence in these and other passages towards the original(?) inhabitants of the land. Here is some detail that might go a little ways towards helping. (1) According to the information in Genesis 10-11, the land of Israel was originally given to the descendants of Shem, not Ham (father of the Canaanites). That we find Abram, an Aramean descendant of Shem, displaced and living in Ur, while the land of Shem is overrun with people of Canaan, suggests that the Canaanites were the original invaders who went outside of their prescribed boundaries and took the land. (2) Despite this breach, God allowed this and waited hundreds of years, putting his own chosen people through slavery because Canaanite society had still not reached the point of deserving judgment--"the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete" (Genesis 15:16). (3) By the time that Israel did end up taking land, God had already driven away many of the people. Exodus 23:28 and Deuteronomy 7:20 both mention that God sent hornets (amongst other things) against the inhabitants to drive out many of the poeple, emptying the land of many of the people beforehand. The period of wandering in the wilderness also gave the people of the land enough time and notice to reconsider their living situation, as Rahab noted, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you" (Joshua 2:9-10). (4) Those who came to make peace with Israel beforehand were shown great mercy. The nation of Israel had an international flavor from the beginning. Moses, the leader of Israel, took a Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1); a mixed multitude of peoples went up along with Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12:37-38); Rahab -a Canaanite- herself asked for and was given mercy (Joshua 2 and 6), and went on to become not just a Canaanite in the land of Israel, but was married into the leading house of the tribe of Judah and went on to become one of the ancestors of King David and Jesus (Ruth 4). (5) With very few exceptions, made because of the sensitivity of establishing a new country devoted to godly principles (necessitating a complete cleansing away of the old order), Israel was the first country in the world to have something like a Genevan Conventions code of warfare. In Deuteronomy 20, these rules govern the treatment of people during war, give the people of Israel the astonishing -for the ancient world- opportunity to refuse military service, prescribe conditions for making peace, and even give conditions for the peaceful treatment of the plant life in the war zone ("are the trees of the field human, that they should be besieged by you?" - Deut. 20:19).
The destruction of the original inhabitants. In the WhatsApp group devoted to this reading plan, I've noticed that there has been some difficulty with the violence in these and other passages towards the original(?) inhabitants of the land. Here is some detail that might go a little ways towards helping. (1) According to the information in Genesis 10-11, the land of Israel was originally given to the descendants of Shem, not Ham (father of the Canaanites). That we find Abram, an Aramean descendant of Shem, displaced and living in Ur, while the land of Shem is overrun with people of Canaan, suggests that the Canaanites were the original invaders who went outside of their prescribed boundaries and took the land. (2) Despite this breach, God allowed this and waited hundreds of years, putting his own chosen people through slavery because Canaanite society had still not reached the point of deserving judgment--"the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete" (Genesis 15:16). (3) By the time that Israel did end up taking land, God had already driven away many of the people. Exodus 23:28 and Deuteronomy 7:20 both mention that God sent hornets (amongst other things) against the inhabitants to drive out many of the poeple, emptying the land of many of the people beforehand. The period of wandering in the wilderness also gave the people of the land enough time and notice to reconsider their living situation, as Rahab noted, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you" (Joshua 2:9-10). (4) Those who came to make peace with Israel beforehand were shown great mercy. The nation of Israel had an international flavor from the beginning. Moses, the leader of Israel, took a Cushite wife (Numbers 12:1); a mixed multitude of peoples went up along with Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12:37-38); Rahab -a Canaanite- herself asked for and was given mercy (Joshua 2 and 6), and went on to become not just a Canaanite in the land of Israel, but was married into the leading house of the tribe of Judah and went on to become one of the ancestors of King David and Jesus (Ruth 4). (5) With very few exceptions, made because of the sensitivity of establishing a new country devoted to godly principles (necessitating a complete cleansing away of the old order), Israel was the first country in the world to have something like a Genevan Conventions code of warfare. In Deuteronomy 20, these rules govern the treatment of people during war, give the people of Israel the astonishing -for the ancient world- opportunity to refuse military service, prescribe conditions for making peace, and even give conditions for the peaceful treatment of the plant life in the war zone ("are the trees of the field human, that they should be besieged by you?" - Deut. 20:19).
RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?
The writing of this post is already going late, but I think in our worship we would begin to see God as a powerful, superior, ruling King--and yet one who is surprisingly giving and gracious, and concerned with the welfare even of those who rebel against him (remember the surprising bits of Deuteronomy that are unusual for ancient treaties). This causes us to approach God with the awe and respect that an ancient king would command from a subject nation, but also to feel some measure of comfort in his presence. In our attitudes this should give us a healthy respect for terms of various relationships, whether our relationship with God, or each other, or within a society to make things work. We all sacrifice some things in order to make the whole work together. In our actions - this is always the hardest part for me to write because in many ways these are specific to each person. I suppose that if God makes treaties with us, and yet includes provisions for grace, then we are free to enter into relationships with others and to establish our own personal boundaries--and yet, it would be wise for us to do what God does here, and to decide beforehand to extend grace in times when these boundaries are overstepped. If God forgives us when we step on his toes, then we should be able to follow his example and extend some grace when someone slips up and steps on ours.
PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?
Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, help me to enter into a renewed relationship with you today -and every day!-, and to be at peace with God and man. Help me to joyfully fulfill my obligations and duties to others, and to be a person whose life is marked out by sincere devotion to your ways. Help me to be willing to give, and ask for, forgiveness when there has been a breach of relationship; and yet to also be wise regarding those who might try to take advantage of this to cause harm. God, thank you that you establish a relationship with me. Thank you for your grace, and provision, and kindness."
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